The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for breathing. Breathing improperly is known to cause problems due to a body receiving an inadequate quantity of oxygen causing physiological effects. For example, failure to breathe properly during sleep is known to cause a person to indicate symptoms of sleepiness during waking hours, fatigue and reduced health.
While sleeping the problem known as obstructive sleep apnoea is a common disorder, particularly in middle age people. The problem is a sleep-induced blockage of the airway which results in apnoeic episodes during sleep. The sleep is fragmented causing continuing degeneration over months or years. This continuing degeneration worsens the problem with the apnoeic episode frequently exceeding two minutes in a sleeper and causing the blood/oxygen saturation level to fall below 90%.
As a person sleeps, the nasal air passageway from the nose to the lungs may become partially blocked or interrupted by tissues, such as the tongue, in the throat and mouth area. The obstruction of the airway causes a degree of asphyxia in the sleeper due to reduced oxygen being absorbed into the body. This obstruction may cause the sleeper to wake frequently during the sleeping time to breath, resulting in insufficient rest. Major symptoms of the sleep apnoea problem are excessive daytime sleepiness and snoring. The daytime sleepiness is due to the problem preventing a sleeper from getting sufficient rest while sleeping. Snoring may be associated with this obstruction as an indication of blockage of the airway leading to the lungs. The partial asphyxia may cause a variety of problems in the sleeper including hypertension, heart problems, headaches, and personality changes.
The obstructive sleep apnoea has also been linked to stroke mortality, myocardial infarction and sudden cardiac death. More than 75% of patients with obstructive sleep apnoea have been reported having a variation in heart rate referred to as Brady tachy-arrhythmia. Studies have shown that the heart rate slows with the cessation of ventilation during obstructive sleep apnoea and the extent of slowing correlates to the duration and amount of oxygen desaturation caused by the problem. The heart rate increases suddenly as the sleeper wakes and the obstructive apnoea is terminated. This variation in heart rate has been shown to reduce the amount of oxygen distributed to the body. The combination of reduced heart rate and reduced oxygen distribution have been linked to the problems of myocardial infarction, sudden death and stroke.
The problem of obstructive sleep apnoea may be caused by reduced pressure in the body airway during inspiration which urges the tongue and soft palate to block the body airway. There has also been evidence that failure of muscles in the throat may further allow blockage of the body airway. Furthermore, the suction created by a sleeper having airway resistance in the mouth or nose region may cause additional pressure causing the body airway to collapse. Gravity may also force the mouth into an open position allowing the tongue, soft palate and pharynx to block the body airway (FIG. 2).
Surgically opening the airway at the throat of the sleeper and the use of a pneumatic pressurizing system have been tried to prevent blockage of the airway and allow a sleeper sufficient airflow into the lungs to prevent these problems. The pneumatic pressurizing system (FIG. 3) has been used to provide a continuous positive body airway pressure acting as a pneumatic splint in holding the body airway in communication with a pressurizing device which supplies air to the nasal air passageway. Surgically opening the airway through a tracheostomy is left open at night and is affective at relieving the obstructive sleep apnoea. Both of these previously tried solutions are expensive and difficult to tolerate.
Improper breathing can also be a health problem during exercise or other activity during the non-sleeping hours. By breathing through the mouth, phlegm is allowed to buildup in the nose and upper throat. Furthermore, the tongue, soft palate, or other soft tissues may block the oral air passageway allowing an insufficient amount of air into the body airway. This blockage may result in reduced oxygen levels in the blood and associated drowsiness or other health problems. The present invention is designed to alleviate these problems with a sleeper while avoiding the cost and complications of the previously tried solutions.